These afterpains - shoot me now!!

[SerialReJoiner]

DS is 3 days old and the pains are still coming; mostly during feeding but can come any time. I grit my teeth and moan/cry through them. Paracetamol doesn't seem to help, but a hot water bottle takes the edge off (or just distracts me??).

This is not my first DC, and they have gotten worse each time, but I can't remember how long it takes for them to fade. This is the most uncomfortable part of recovery!

[elmo1980]

After pains?? There's after pains?? I'm just coming to terms with how bad current pains are going to be (37 wks here) but no ones mentioned after pains.

Sorry not very helpful but really hope it eases off for you soon.

[Rollonbedtime7pm]

Oh God, mine after DC3 were as bad as labour contractions! Agony!!

I can't remember them lasting more than a week though so hopefully yours will ease off soon.

[SweepTheHalls]

Bloody horrific, way worse than labour! Pretty much the only saving grace of the C section was that I was still on so much morphine that I didn't feel them as much with DC3!

[venys]

Oh yes those. Nobody tells you about them. I think mine lasted about a week. Just had to grimace. :( It will be over before you know it. Congratulations by the way.

[AndNowItsSeven]

After pains are worse the more babies you have had,and yes worse than labour. And why are they never mentioned?
You have my sympathies op.

[RandomMess]

Mine were so bad after DC2 I insisted on being given voltoral to survive DC3 & 4 - they were never as bad again though!

First time Mums, you don't usually get these after DC1...

[SerialReJoiner]

I hope I don't have more than a week of this! I am pretty sure I'm putting off my DD of ever having children of her own...

[stripeyreds0cks]

Mine were worse with dc3 as well, dc4 was a breeze compared.

[LatteTime]

Mines lasted about 3 weeks, I woke my DH up screaming "help me" I honestly thought something serious was wrong. Thankfully MIL who is a GP was in the spare room or I would of been right up to the hospital, no one told me about them

I think mines was extreme tho as I ended up getting an internal scan to make sure there was no "left over" bits.

MIL said most people's go after a week, I hope you feel better soon

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Hope you feel better soon. I've heard they're worse with second or subsequent babies? Does anyone have experience of these after ELCS? I'm having a CS for my second baby. It I don't recall having after pains with my first (normal delivery but awful tear so maybe the spinal and diclofrnac masked the pains??).

[MissSmiley]

After my fifth child I complained to my GP about the after pains and she prescribed something very effective a kind of anti cramping thing. It worked and I felt silly for not having asked sooner. I was ebf if that helps. Please ask your GP for something.

[MissSmiley]

Blahblah I've had two sections and two natural deliveries and can only remember the after pains after the natural ones but I was in advanced labour each time. I think however that the pain relief following a section probably masks any after pains. I did have them after dc2 but only for 24hours not a week like the last time.

[SerialReJoiner]

Thanks for the commiserations. I suddenly realised today that I haven't had any pains, or if they were there, so minimal as to be easily ignored. I had them overnight last night, just not today. Yay!

[SerialReJoiner]

Today is day 5. Glad it didn't last a full week.

[LatteTime]

Blah blah - I had them with an ELCS but my best friend didn't so I guess it depends.

Glad you're feeling better OP

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Miss Smiley was it buscopan?

[SpunBodgeSquarepants]

Oh my god, afterpains?? I never had these after DS, am pregnant now and scared!!

[LatteTime]

Blah blah I got dihydrocodejne and it worked a treat, but also made me spaced out.

[LatteTime]

SpongeBob

I had never heard of them either, apparently not everyone gets them

Congratulations

[Strokethefurrywall]

I had them too and they were way worse with DS2 than DS1.

I remember on day 3, actually shouting and crying when DS2 latched on and started nursing. The nursing triggered the cramping and oh sweet lord, they were worse than labor. Absolutely excruciating.

The only person who mentioned after pains was my mum so I didn't really know to expect them, although obviously did with DS2, I just expected them to be better not worse!

I hope that's them over and done for you now OP!

[Hawkmoth]

After my third and fourth they made me shake from head to toe. I remember curling up in bed and praying for the end.

Keep warm, take cocodamol!

[MrsBobDylan]

As someone who had 3 elcs and never experienced a contraction, I was shocked to my core to get after pains with DC3. I thought I was making a big deal of them at the time but feel vindicated having read this thread. They fucking well hurt!

Hope you're through the worst now op.

[JustHavinABreak]

My baby is 9 days old today and thankfully the pains didn't last beyond day 4 or 5. Paracetamol wasn't strong enough but I was given Difene which really helped. For those of you who are FTMs, I think you'll have it easier 😁 I didn't get any after pains with DC1 and got quite a shock after DC2 (hmm...is there another baby in there?) Everytime I breastfed him for the first few days I got terrible cramps. The midwife explained that bfeeding released a hormone that tightened up the uterus again, hence the pain. Just had DC3 and it was all much quicker and easier.

[gamerchick]

Yeah they don't t tell you about that part do they? My third baby was frigging toecurling.

[user1471495191]

I had bad after pains with ebf DC1. Pregnant with DC2 now. Just tried to grit my teeth and tell myself it was my stomach muscles getting themselves back into shape. I remember counting the minutes until my next pain relief and asking visitors to bring more paracetamol.